Kathrine Nicole Mendoza

BSCRIM 24

Reflection “The Discovery of the Pugad Lawin”

The Discovery of the Pugad Lawin & The Battle of Kakarong de Sili

The Cry of Balintawak took place on August 26, 1896. The Cry is recognized as
the turning point in Philippine history when the people of the Philippines finally
rejected Spanish colonial rule. The people watched with tears in their eyes as one
man tore their cedulas into bits. The Cry of Balintawak, a crucial period in
Philippine history, has been a topic of controversy for more than a century. The
principal staging area of the cry took place in Balintawak on August 26, 1896,
according to Pio Valenzuela's report, "The Cry of Pugad Lawin," who also
happened to be an eyewitness to the tragedy. He presented this account while the
details of the situation were still vivid in his mind. On the other hand, later in age
and with a fading memory, he penned his Memoirs of the Revolution without
reading the recorded sources of the Philippine Revolution and stated that the "Cry"
occurred on August 23, 1896 at Pugad Lawin,

Pio Valenzuela's narrative of Balintawak was the first site of sanctuary for Andres
Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto, Procopio Bonifacio and Teodoro Plata, and Aguedo del
Rosario. On August 22, 1896, 500 Katipunan members convened in Apolonio
Samson's house and yard in Kangkong, and on August 23, 1986, nearly 1,000
members gathered in Pugad Lawin to debate whether the revolution against the
Spanish government should begin on August 29, 1986. Teodora Plata was the only
one who objected and fought against the war. Enrique Cipriano, Alfonso Pacheco,
Tomas Remigio, Sinforoso San Pedro, and others were present at the conference,
and several of those present tore their cedula certificates and yelled, "Long live the
Philippines!"

Whether it should be referred to as the "Cry of Balintawak" or the "Cry of Pugad

Lawin" is still up for debate among historians today. The August 23, 1896, "Cry of
Pugad Lawin" is not historically accurate. There is a lack of affirmative
documentation and supporting information from the witness. Pio Valenzuela's lone
eyewitness testimony is insufficient to support and confirm a contested historical
issue. The way that Valenzuela describes his claims is highly contradictory.
However, this incident marked the start of the Philippine uprising against Spain,
which was followed by a number of bloody encounters between Spanish muskets
and Filipino bolos and spears. These incidents strengthened the nation's unity and
stoked the Filipinos' "thirst" for independence. The Cry of the Rebellion at
Pugad Lawin heralded the beginning of the Philippine Revolution in 1896,
which eventually led to the country's independence in 1898